International Cell phone rental

[bldsld]

Can anybody suggest a cell phone rental company for cell service in Central America? I currently have AT&T Cingular, but for reasons too lengthy to go into (supreme incompetence of the cellular company!), I cannot get international service in time for my cruise in 2 weeks.

 

Are there any Seabournites with a positive rental recommendation?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

Denyse

[Martita B.]

Denyse, have you checked out, "Rentcell inc?" The # is: 800 404-3093

E-mail : sales@rentcell.com

You might check them out.......they have S. America service.

 

Buerno Suarta,

MB

[LaPaloma]

We have rented thru our AM EXP and it worked well. I now have the ATT/Cingular and all you have to do is call and you have it switched imediately. You must have the international availability on your phone though. Mine works wonderfully and is inexpensive.

[JDRMYS]

I have often used Cellhire (http://www.cellhire.com). They have excellent service and easy to understand instructions. I've recently purchased an international phone through Cingular and have found the service more difficult to use than that I have had with phones rented through Cellhire.

[bldsld]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

 

Not to bore you all and this is specifically in response to LaPaloma, I also have Cingular service (dual band), and they are giving me a really hard time upgrading to a quad band, and "migrating" from AT&T to their new but idiotic system. I have been with their predecessor for 17 years, and yet they want my social security number (which I am refusing to give as is my legal right) before allowing me to upgrade in order to run a credit check (which they don't actually run....it's just a data entry request that goes into a deep black hole) after 17 years of perfect payment history. I've spent hours talking to various morons ad nauseum, so when I get back, I'm switching to T-mobile. As an attorney, I've had clients who have experienced identity theft, and social security numbers can no longer be required for credit checks; there have to be alternative options for consumers, at least here in California. It's particularly galling as I've been a customer of theirs, for all intents and purposes, for 17 years.

 

Sorry to vent....

 

I will try the rental as suggested. Thank you all so much!

Denyse

[LaPaloma]

I would agree with you about the SS #. I must say, though, I came back to ATT/Cinular from T Mobile. They were miserable to deal with..and I never recieved a nice rebate that was supposed to happen. They just shrugged and said keep calling..I think not. I had paid a healthy price for the Int. phone and was told it could be used with another co. What I found was that it could be used domesticly with ATT..but NOT internationally. These companies really are irksome. My service has been easy..and just a phone call to turn the int. part on or off. Cingular DOES sniff with disregard to anything having to do with the prior ATT account. I just won't put up with it. Let's face it..most of the reason is that they have new mdse all the time, and consider anything else expendable. They want you to get with the new system. I don't fix what isn't broke!

[Chairsin]

Denyse,

 

My husband is checking his records to find the name of the company he used several times when he needed one for business in London and Paris. He also suggested you try Radio Shack.

 

I agree with you this whole identity theft problem is getting scary -- it is to the point that I shred almost everything and I never put outgoing bill payments in my mailbox.

 

Chairsin

[bldsld]

LaPaloma and Chairsin,

 

Thanks for feeling my pain!!! I will take your advice about T-mobile, although at this point, they are all probably equally bad.

 

I really object to requiring social seciurity numbers, particularly when there is a long history of perfect credit available to them.

 

Again, not meaning to vent...(much!).;)

Denyse

[Chairsin]

Denyse,

 

Hubby just found his old records ( amazing!)-- the company he used is travelcell.com. Hope this helps.

 

Chairsin

[bldsld]

Chairsin,

 

Please thank hubby, the packrat, for me!

 

Denyse

[bldsld]

I would agree with you about the SS #. I must say, though, I came back to ATT/Cinular from T Mobile. They were miserable to deal with..and I never recieved a nice rebate that was supposed to happen. They just shrugged and said keep calling..I think not. I had paid a healthy price for the Int. phone and was told it could be used with another co. What I found was that it could be used domesticly with ATT..but NOT internationally. These companies really are irksome. My service has been easy..and just a phone call to turn the int. part on or off. Cingular DOES sniff with disregard to anything having to do with the prior ATT account. I just won't put up with it. Let's face it..most of the reason is that they have new mdse all the time, and consider anything else expendable. They want you to get with the new system. I don't fix what isn't broke!

 

LaPaloma,

 

Cingular is now actually trying to help me upgrade without the full ss#. Do you think it's because I used the words, "I'm moving to T-Mobile"??;) I should have a quad band, and international service, in time for the Panama cruise next weekend.

 

Denyse

[cusyl]

I am considering buying this $49 phone. It sounds like a good way to go.

 

http://www.mobalrental.com/gsm/handsets.asp?source=0006DN07NMOBWEB

[bldsld]

Thanks for your post. Unfortunately, your plan doesn't include coverage for Central America.